2014 cadillac cts Reviews and News

Santa Barbara, California – The 2014 Cadillac CTS is looking pretty fashionable here in front of the El Encanto Hotel as the morning sun softens the air. A day on the roads around Santa Barbara lies ahead, but we're still kind of worried. Has the all-new CTS become the kind of car that you're supposed to drive on a tour of the local wineries? Does anyone really need yet another car like that?

It takes only a few minutes to find the answer. We turn out of the tree-lined neighborhoods of old Santa Barbara and onto the long, steep grade into the San Marcos Pass, put the right pedal on the floor in that familiar way, and wait to see what transpires. The direct injection for the V-6 intensifies its faint clatter, the revs rise, and the eight-speed automatic snaps through the ratios with a little pause between gears as the fuel cuts out for a millisecond to speed the process.

We look down at the instrument display in the LCD panel and the speedometer needle quickly crowds the bigger numbers. It's pretty clear that a decision is called for. At this rate, the consequences might involve a fireball or at least some flashing lights from a CHP cruiser. Yes, the 2014 Cadillac CTS is still our kind of car.

The Cadillac Science Fair
With the 2014 model, we're now into the third-generation of the CTS, and it's clear that Cadillac has a surer feel for its mission. Like the company itself, this all-new car has grown more refined. It sends that message to you in the way that the angular design vocabulary -- inherited from the 2001 Cadillac Evoq concept car -- has come together in a less aggressive way than ever before. A lower hood, a more steeply raked windshield, and a slightly drawn-out tail make the 2014 CTS look sleek and fast. It's less about science and more about art.

And yet as we rub shoulders with a platoon of Cadillac designers, engineers, and executives to look over the details beneath the skin, it's clear that there's still plenty of science in the final effort. It all begins with the concept for the car itself. While the wheelbase has been stretched by 1.2 inches to 114.6 inches (primarily to increase rear-seat legroom), the CTS is still meant to drive like a small car made large, not a large car made slightly smaller.

You can see the consequences in the Cadillac engineers' obsession with the new car's weight. As we were told more than once, every engineer had to account for every gram every day. Around us, we see little displays of hard parts that illustrate the result of the weight-reduction process. It's not the usual use of lightweight metals that you might expect but instead a clever integration of high-strength steel, aluminum, and magnesium with innovative design and fabrication. And when iron is required -- as it is in the rear axle's bell housing, where it ensures precise bearing location, effective heat resistance, and good acoustic insulation -- there it is. The bottom line is a car that's larger in size, structurally more rigid, and lighter in weight. Who wouldn't want this?

No Wineries, Please
We're in the middle of the Santa Ynez Valley, and there are vineyards for miles and miles. Instead of the main roads choked with tour buses, we're led onto a network of farm roads through the low hills that we thought only locals knew about. As the 2014 CTS hammers down the rough, pockmarked asphalt between the fields and twists through sharp, deeply cambered corners under the oaks, it's as if we're being invited to shake down the car in a way that's literal as well as figurative.

Just as you'd hope, the engine is a major player in every car. When the twin-turbo intercooled V-6 is at work, you know you're in a CTS that did a lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 8:14.10. When the normally aspirated V-6 is doing business, you know you're in a CTS that makes every drive feel effortless. And when the turbo four is in front, you're surprised to find a CTS with lots of power matched by lots of mpg, making this combination the smart choice for urban driving and freeway commuting.

Well, Maybe a Winery or Two
As much as we're pleased to find the same spirit as before, we have to admit that the 2014 Cadillac CTS is really set apart by the expression of refinement it makes. The cabin comes in no less than eight different treatments, each putting a mix of natural and manmade materials in the service of sound ergonomics and an overall sense of practical spaciousness. If you were to tour a winery, the Cadillac CTS is the kind of car you'd want to take you there.

Yet even in such a luxurious environment, Cadillac engineers can't control their ingenuity, so across the CTS range are many examples of thoughtful cleverness that help you personalize the cabin environment. For example, you can configure the optional LCD instrument display three different ways to suit performance preference, conventional practicality, or just the facts. The CUE electronic interface is a hub for communication, entertainment, and even driving performance that is at once incredibly sophisticated yet not impenetrable to comprehension by ordinary humans. In every way that we can think of, the CTS cabin sets the standard of useful luxury.

And did we mention just how refined the driving experience is? Even the standard suspension setup is resilient, but the optional Magnetic Ride Control once again shows just why so many carmakers have come to adopt this American technology to deliver good dynamics with a good ride. Just as important, the 2014 Cadillac CTS is wonderfully quiet. Not acoustically dead but perfectly hushed, a result of not just acoustic insulation but also noise-canceling hardware that filters out the bad stuff while playing up the good stuff. It's the old Santa Barbara neighborhoods near the El Encanto Hotel, where things are quiet even as you hear a reassuring undercurrent of life.

You're not in Kansas Anymore
After spending a day with this car in its many different iterations, we're not sure that we've yet got a sure grasp of its nature. After all, there are three different powertrains, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive depending on model, three different option groups (Luxury, Performance, and Premium), eight different interior treatments, a range of wheel and tire options, and a world-class array of active safety technology.

Everywhere you look, the Cadillac CTS offers something new and innovative. Hey, it'll even park itself. It's a miracle that this car can be had in only 300 different permutations, which offers a great savings in cost over the tens of thousands of permutations in which cars like the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class are offered.

All we really know for sure is that the price of the base 2014 Cadillac CTS (rear-wheel drive with 2.0T) begins at $46,025, and the price of the CTS Vsport (rear-wheel drive with 3.6T) starts at $59,995. In one day, we drove cars equipped with representative options that included an all-wheel-drive CTS 2.0T priced at $54,225, a rear-wheel-drive CTS 3.6L Performance priced at $62,775, a rear-wheel-drive CTS 3.6T Vsport Premium priced at $71,745, and an all-wheel-drive CTS 3.6L Premium priced at $70,070.

The 2014 Cadillac CTS is not exactly the car you remember. It's better. At the same time, the spirit is the same in all the important ways. After all, the car's signature color is red.

Milford, Michigan -- General Motors' top management has had its ups and downs over the years, but the engineering and design departments have always been among the best in the world. When GM's suits and bean counters manage to do their jobs well, they give engineers and designers the resources necessary to fulfill their collective potential. A decade into the Cadillac division's struggle to once again build credible, world-class luxury cars, upper management seems to have let the creative people loose in their effort to catch BMW.

The latest evidence is the new, twin-turbo V-6-powered VSport variant of Cadillac's freshly minted third-generation CTS. With this larger CTS, Cadillac is quickly rising to the top of the mid-size luxury segment that the Mercedes-Benz E-class, Audi A6, and BMW 5-series have dominated for so long. The CTS achieves this in part by becoming the segment's biggest loser (the base model is nearly 250 pounds lighter).

Engineering chief Dave Leone, who deserves credit as much as anyone for Cadillac's renaissance, started with the new Alpha platform (ATS and next Chevy Camaro) and designed more elegant substructures. His team designed door structures, a hood, and other pieces of aluminum; made parts like the engine brackets of magnesium; and added loads of high-strength steel. Leone says the base car is 200 pounds lighter than a BMW 528i; the normally aspirated, 3.6L V-6 CTS is 350 pounds lighter than a 535i; and the twin-turbo 3.6L Vsport is 400 pounds lighter than a 550i.

The new car is 4.2 inches longer than the '08-'13 Sigma CTS, including a 1.2-inch bump in wheelbase, and is an inch lower and slightly narrower. The rear seat is placed closer to the rear axle, and the backs of the front buckets are scooped out to create more impressive rear passenger space than you'd expect from the increase in size. The styling difference between this new, longer, lower CTS and the last one is like the difference between an early Bill Mitchell Cadillac and a late Harley Earl Caddy. The single disappointment is the rear fender/taillamp design, dramatic on the old car but now too much like the XTS's -- or even the old DTS's -- tail, pandering to Chinese tastes.

Interior design and material quality is about up to 5-series or E-class standards, although in light colors the back seat lacks some visual dazzle. Up front, you still have to deal with the CUE system.

We had only the Vsport for our first drive, which included many laps of GM's Milford Road Course (known colloquially as the Lutzring) and a lap of the public roads surrounding the facility.

There's a slight hesitation at throttle tip-in, even with twin turbocharger. The 420-horsepower twin-turbo V-6 sounds great when angry and quickly settles down to a country club hush when it's not aroused. Credit that naturally created induction noise for tamping down the incongruity of hustling a large, comfortable American luxury car around this tight, technical test track. The Vsport's smooth, responsive Aisin eight-speed automatic works just fine in Sport mode – there's no advantage in clicking the paddle shifters. An eight-speed is the cost of entry in this segment, although it comes only with the base and twin-turbo 3.6L V-6s and rear-wheel-drive. If you get the all-wheel-drive normally aspirated V-6 (AWD is not available with the twin-turbo V-6) or either RWD or AWD with the 2.0L turbo four-cylinder, your transmission is a six-speed automatic.

The Vsport rewards those for whom handling comes first, acceleration second. The Vsport comes standard with Magnetic Ride Control (MRC), which is now optional on the base CTS; the system offers Touring, Sport and Track settings. Although the stability control can be turned off completely, it lets you rotate the car and steer with the throttle in normal Track mode. Try that in one of the German or Asian competitors. This lets you enjoy trailing-throttle oversteer. Overcook it in a corner, and stability control kicks in, but only long enough to make sure you're not swapping ends. It shuts down once oversteer is under control. This is easier than you think: you can feel the 50/50 balance in the CTS, which handles as much like a two-seat sports car as a big luxury sedan allows. On the road that rings the proving ground, ride quality and quietness are what you'd expect from a Cadillac.

"It's easier to give a good-handling car a smooth ride than to make a good ride handle," Leone says.

Although we still miss power steering pumps for feedback and feel, the electronic power assisted steering (EPAS) in the CTS is tactile. We've known for years that GM has benchmarked BMW steering, not in its current models but from a couple of generations ago, cars like the E46-chassis 3-series and the E39 5-series. Leone notes that the CTS's EPAS is mounted on the steering rack, not on the column, for minimal interference.

So Cadillac has met BMW at a crossroads where the American brand is making its luxury sedans more dynamic while the German brand is making its sport sedans more luxurious. Between the new CTS Vsport and the Maserati Ghibli, Germany's dominance in this field is facing a real, tangible threat.

New For 2014

The 2014 Cadillac CTS sedan is all-new. Several versions of the previous-generation CTS—the coupe, wagon, and powerful V-series—remain on the market. They carry into 2014 with minor changes.

Vehicle Summary

The 2014 Cadillac CTS is a rear-wheel-drive, mid-size luxury car comparable to the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. It is sold as a coupe, sedan, and wagon. An all-new, third-generation sedan goes on sale for 2014. It's larger and more luxurious than before and comes with a range of powerful four- and six-cylinder engines. For now, Cadillac continues to sell the wagon and coupe variants of the old CTS. There's also a high-performance V-series version of the second-generation model that features a 6.2-liter supercharged V-8.

Overview

The 2014 Cadillac CTS seemed like something of an anomaly when it first appeared more than a decade ago. No one expected that Cadillac could ever produce something that drove like a German car. "Shouldn't that be left to the Germans?" we asked in our first review of the 2002 CTS. In fact, the CTS brought about a new era at Cadillac. The third-generation CTS sedan, new for 2014, is still pursuing the Germans and may have finally caught them.

The 2014 Cadillac CTS is a bigger, more expensive car than the one it replaces, in large part because the new ATS has taken over duties as the brand's entry-level model. Somewhat subdued styling testifies to a desire to steal customers from the conservative-looking stalwarts of this segment, the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The clamshell hood flows into a rounded-off nose, and the rear end is almost bulbous. That's not to say the car has gone flabby. Sculpted body sides, a low hood, and slim sideview mirrors tell you that it's nothing like the front-wheel-drive XTS. So do the attractive rear-wheel-drive proportions -- phallic nose, razor-thin front overhang.

The 2014 Cadillac CTS shares with the ATS a lightweight rear-wheel-drive architecture, called Alpha, but makes greater use of lightweight materials. The door structures and hood, for instance, are made of aluminum. As with the ATS, Cadillac has pushed back against the trend toward large, heavy wheels. Seventeen-inch wheels are standard; eighteens and nineteens are optional. The result is a car that Cadillac says is 200 to 400 pounds lighter than its direct competitor, the BMW 5 Series.

The CTS sedan offers three engines. The base model features a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder than produces 272 hp. Then there's the familiar 3.6-liter V-6 -- basically the same engine offered in the previous generation. That V-6 serves as the basis for a new twin-turbo six-cylinder offered as part of an aggressive new model call the Vsport. The 420-hp engine sounds great when angry and quickly settles down to a country-club hush when it's not aroused. Like many turbo engines, it suffers from a bit of lag just off the line. The Vsport (not to be confused with the V-series) comes with a smooth, responsive Aisin eight-speed automatic and is rear-wheel drive only. If you get an all-wheel-drive, normally aspirated V-6 or either RWD or AWD with the four-cylinder, your transmission is a six-speed automatic.

The CTS handles as much like a two-seat sports car as a big luxury sedan allows. The Vsport comes standard with Magnetic Ride Control, which is also optional on the base CTS; the system offers Touring, Sport, and Track settings. Although the stability control can be turned off completely, it lets you rotate the car and steer with the gas pedal in normal Track mode. This lets you enjoy trailing-throttle oversteer. Overcook it in a corner and stability control kicks in, but only long enough to help make sure that you're not going to spin the car; the electronic watchdog shuts down once oversteer is under control. For all this sportiness, ride quality and quietness are what you'd expect from a Cadillac.

The interior closely resembles Cadillac's other recent introductions. In particular, the quality of the materials takes a major leap forward. The optional carbon-fiber trim, for instance, cost Cadillac three to four times as much as the fake stuff used in the old model. Worth it. Upper trim-level models like the one we sat in feature fancily cut-and-sewn semi-aniline leather on just about every imaginable surface, even the horn cap on the steering wheel. Cue, Cadillac's controversial infotainment system, is standard. Outward visibility is good, thanks to relatively thin A-pillars and the aforementioned low nose, which in some markets necessitates pyrotechnic actuators to raise the hood in the event of a pedestrian impact. Despite the increase in the car's length, the back bench is still a bit tight, and the center seat straddles the driveshaft tunnel, as is typical with a real-wheel-drive layout. Those who want more room might consider the front-wheel-drive XTS, which starts for about the same price as the CTS.

With all this talk of the new CTS, we should point out that you can still buy some versions of the old CTS. The previous-generation coupe, wagon, and high-performance V-series all carry into 2014. They're worthy of consideration, even if they're not quite as refined as the new car or their German competitors, particularly in terms of interior quality.

You'll like:

World-class handling

Nicely appointed interior

Low curb weight

You won't like:

Sedan is more expensive than its predecessor

Powertrains aren't quite as refined as those in German competitors

Carryover models' interior materials

Key Competitors

When setting out on a road trip, AUTOMOBILE staffers have the luxury of picking from a wide variety of vehicles. Twisty roads might call for our Alfa Romeo 4C, dusty roads might require our Jeep Cherokee Limited, and coned-off parking lots might have us grabbing keys to the Ford Fiesta ST. When I needed to head to Indianapolis and back for an overnight trip to visit Andretti Autosport, I didn't think twice about picking our 2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport.

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Warranty

Recalls

Recall Date

12-31-1969:21:35:40

Component

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:SWITCH/WIRING

Summary

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured June 10, 2013, through February 26, 2014. If the vehicle is turned off with wiper functionality left on and the wipers then become restricted, such as when covered in ice or snow, and the vehicle's battery goes dead and needs to be jump started, upon being jump started, the wipers will be inoperative.

Consequences

An inoperative windshield wiper system may decrease the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front wiper module, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2104. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14157.

Potential Units Affected

19,225

Notes

General Motors LLC

Recall Date

12-31-1969:21:35:40

Component

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

Summary

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured June 10, 2013, through February 26, 2014. If the vehicle is turned off with wiper functionality left on and the wipers then become restricted, such as when covered in ice or snow, and the vehicle's battery goes dead and needs to be jump started, upon being jump started, the wipers will be inoperative.

Consequences

An inoperative windshield wiper system may decrease the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front wiper module, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2104. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14157.

Potential Units Affected

19,225

Notes

General Motors LLC

Recall Date

12-31-1969:21:35:40

Component

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Summary

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to March 20, 2014, and 2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured June 10, 2013, to March 20, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable may detach from either the bracket on the transmission shifter or the bracket on the transmission.

Consequences

If the transmission shift cable detaches while the vehicle is being driven, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, despite selecting the 'PARK' position, the transmission may not be in 'PARK.' If the vehicle is not in the 'PARK' position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles to make sure the cable is properly seated at the transmission and shifter brackets, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in early August 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14179.

Potential Units Affected

90,750

Notes

General Motors LLC

Recall Date

12-31-1969:21:35:40

Component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

Summary

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 2, 2014 that they are recalling 554,328 model year 2003-2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured August 16, 2001, to April 28, 2014, and 2004-2006 Cadillac SRX vehicles manufactured March 20, 2003, to August 11, 2006. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

Consequences

If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 15, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14172.

Potential Units Affected

554,328

Notes

General Motors LLC

Recall Date

12-31-1969:21:35:40

Component

SEATS

Summary

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore and Cadillac ATS; 2014 Cadillac CTS, ELR, Chevrolet Caprice and SS vehicles; and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Trucks. Due to an incomplete weld on the seat hook bracket assembly, the front seats in the affected vehicles may not stay secured in place during a high load condition such as a crash.

Consequences

A seat that does not stay secured increases the risk of occupant injury in a vehicle crash.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat hook bracket assembly weld and replace the lower seat track, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14340.

If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM¿s number for this recall is 14515.